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Football Basics

WHAT KIND OF FAN ARE YOU?
We all know the person who “has a team”, maybe even owns a shirt or two of that team, will watch part of the game, go to a bar to watch the game, chat a little about it the next day, etc. We also know a lot of these people know nothing about the game, team, or sport. If you’re a real fan of any sports team, there’s nothing that annoys you more, than a bandwagon fan, a fan who wants to be cool, or any other kind of non-real fan there is. Here are a few helpful hints to figure out what kind of fan you are, in the hopes you aren’t THAT “fan”.

How to Tell Whether or Not You Know Anything About Football
1. You know how many yards a football field has. (A girlfriend of mine just told me 80! Who knew?)

2. You know the yellow line is not on the field and is just a guide for people at home who can’t count 10 yards. (A girlfriend of mine once asked, “How do they move the line so quickly after each play?”)

3. You can name at least 8-10 players on “your team”.

4. You know in which division your team plays.

5. You don’t just like the team and have a jersey because you “like the colors” or a player is “cute”

6. You know a touchdown is not 7 points. (“Yes it is”, a girlfriend says to me, “They automatically get the point after so it’s 7 points.)

7. You don’t get confused that your fantasy stats really mean something to the actual game and standings.

8. You know what time, what channel, and what day the game is on.
(Extra points for knowing CBS is AFC, FOX is NFC, & Monday nights are ESPN)

9. You actually watch the game and not just regurgitate sportscaster/newspaper highlights the next day.

10. You can discuss at least a 3-year history of the team’s performance.

How to Tell If You’re an Obsessed Fan1. You don’t talk to anyone during a game unless it’s about the current play.

2. You plan your schedule, vacations, and special events around game time.

3. You have a certain outfit or jersey that you wear for certain games because you swear it helps the team play better.

4. The outcome of the game dictates your mood for the remainder of the day or maybe even a few days.

5. You can name almost every player on the team by first and last name, and their college of origin.

6. You watch the upcoming week’s coverage starting on Thursday, on every sports channel.

7. You consider traveling hundreds, maybe even thousands, of miles to watch your team play, no matter the weather.

8. You know the history of the team, starting with its inception, including the stadiums, owners, former players, and more.

9. You have cried either tears of joy or sadness because of your team.

10. You find yourself choosing friends based on which teams they like and whether or not they are arch rivals of yours.

Basic Football Fundamentals for Those Who Don’t Know Anything at All* I realize there are way more than just 10 basics but this should be a start…

1. There are 100 yards on the football field, 120 if you count the end zones (which you need to do with field goals).

2. NCAA has different rules than NFL.
(I.E.: An NFL player needs both feet in bounds for the pass to be complete whereas an NCAA player needs only one foot.)

3. A touchdown is worth 6 points, a field goal is worth 3, a point after touchdown is 1, and a safety is 2.

3. There are 4 downs, or chances, to move the ball 10 yards. The goal is to keep getting first downs until you score.

4. There are three components to a team: Offense, Defense, and Special Teams.

5. There can only be 11 players for each team on the field.

6. Each team only gets three timeouts per half
(If a coach throws a challenge flag and the challenge is not overturned, the team loses a time out.)

7. The game is divided into 4 quarters, 15 minutes each.

8. Running the ball is known as rushing, throwing the ball is known as passing.

9. Interceptions are when the opposing team catches the ball instead of the intended receiver. Possession of the ball then changes,
which is a turnover.

10. A fumble is when the offensive player loses the ball once they had possession. When a player fumbles, the opposing team
(defense) can then pick it up and take possession. This is also a turnover.

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One thought on “Football Basics”

Yes, I have been ready for football!And since idlmde school and high football have already started I am good.My team is the NY Giants.And know this will not be their best yest but as long as they beat the Redskins at least once, I am ok.Shelia Reply:September 9th, 2010 at 1:28 amBeverly, that used to be how we felt about the Cowboys. Now that we’ve tasted victory we want it all. LOL